Beloved

The third time is not a charm. This was my least favorite book we have read so far, I found it really hard to get into and finish. It’s not that the book wasn’t sending a good message but the delivery was painful. Even though there was a multitude of events that should have aroused the reader, to get them to engage and want to keep reading, it never evoked that response in me. I feel like Morrison had most or all the pieces to make a good novel but they just didn’t work together and get executed correctly to make an exciting read. After saying that, the book did deliver a good message about how slavery was, from a slave’s perspective. I think that is a key factor to the books appeal, the little that it held for me, because a lot of the literature from the time isn’t written from that perspective, it was written by a white man. Beloved, along with our class discussion, delves into this concept that they couldn’t read or write. For today’s reader it reminds you what was written about slavery during that time is not consistent with the actual events from that period as seen through the eyes of a slave and this book allows the reader to take a journey through the slaves recollections and the emotions they felt and the actions they had to take just to survive. It’s hard to comprehend those emotions in today’s society. In class it seemed that almost everyone was able to justify Sethe killing her children to escape slavery. It was an act of mercy, she was saving them from a lifestyle that destroyed her and killing them was the only way she saw for them to have a better life than she had… in her experience no life was better than living, when the only outcome is to be treated so inhumanly and enslaved. While I found it hard to read, I was still able feel for the characters, the story evoked a response out of me and I consider that a success, but regardless I never want to read it again.

Indian Killer

Initially after finishing the book I thought the Indian Killer was the souls of Indians who had been killed or Indians who have been re-incarnated into owls. But it can’t be that because the killer talks of sitting, running, holding the knife, sharpening the blade and other things that would have to make him human. Due to the physicality I don’t think the killer could be a woman. I don’t believe it is one of the characters that Alexie clearly develops for the reader. I think the Indian Killer is Indian but not one of the Indians that was part of the story elsewhere. I came to this conclusion through process of elimination while reading. At different times throughout the book I thought the killer could be John, Reggie, Dr. Mather, Truck ect. but for each one I found reasons that it couldn’t be him. John was a paranoid schitzo who would literally run away from situations that caused him too much anxiety. I don’t think he would have been able to kill people during one of his psychotic breaks either, John’s delusions and hallucinations, that were played out for the reader, were all about the life he never had on the rez or Father Duncan, they never seemed to be violent episodes that he was suffering from. As I said before, I don’t think Alexie shares the Indian killers background with the reader, it is not one of the characters that we can put a name to. I don’t think it matters who the killer is but how all the other characters act because of his actions. It allows Alexie to dive in and show the injustice and prejudices that Native Americans have to face in this country, in modern times.

Fear and Loathing

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was different than any other book I have ever read. I thought it was funny telling of reckless weekend that was on a downward spiral from the very start. Even though the author was in a drug induced state and considered unreliable, I was surprised by how much of the weekend was retold and the fact that he remembered explicit details. I know he used a tape recorder to help retell the story and I really liked how the editor had to put a note in the book that they weren’t exactly sure what happened but this is what they have due to the tape recordings, the chapter looks like a play script. I also loved how the characters only lived in the moment. Throughout the whole story they did what they wanted, much of it was wrong but the freedom they exert was exciting. They broke laws and societal rules, some of their antics caused them fear from the law but it didn’t stop them from breaking more rules in even crazier ways. I have to say my favorite part was the drug convention and how out of touch and naive the cops were. My brother is a cop and I found this section hysterical, it was definitely my favorite section.

The American Dream

The American dream is the idea that anything is possible. Anyone, from any walk of life, has the opportunity to make their dreams come true if they are willing to work hard to achieve their goals. Success is not determined by sex, race, or religion; a person has the freedom to be whoever they are and still achieve their goals and dreams. I think the majority of people in the United States believe success is a high monetary number, a large house in a choice neighborhood, and a couple of luxury cars to fill up the new fabulous garage. In the U.S. we judge and characterize people by what they wear, drive and where they live; the more labels they have the more successful they appear to be. Friends and family are also often part of the dream but I think money is the main aspect when we think of success and I think people try to achieve success first when going after their American dream.